Cool, I got included in an Etsy Treasury at:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=74324
My pinup bead is on it... this is a color image transfer

Portrait Bead Tutorial

Yes, my long awaited Portrait Bead Tutorial has finally arrived! I have listed it in my Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php...ng_id=28360189



I also have listed a basic kit which includes the not-so-common items:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php...ng_id=28360402
Included in the kit are:
4 blank sheets of decal paper
1/4 sheet of pre-printed practice image decals
2 oz of clear enamel powder
***the tutorial is not included in the basics kit... the tutorial must be purchased in order to buy the kit

Here is the information about the tutorial from my Etsy listing:

I have finally finished my tutorial that gives full instructions on creating and printing the decals and then using them for your own custom lampwork beads! You can use photos of loved ones, clip art, etc... anything you choose! You have probably seen this technique for fused glass, but I have adapted this technique to use for torch work.

My high quality tutorial is 20 pages of information that includes many pictures and quality instructions on:
*Removing chill marks to make a smooth bead
*Applying decals to lampwork beads so that they are durable and permanent
*Preparing images for decal printing
*Decoration techniques
... and more...

***Also includes the ink friendly torch & computer cheat sheets! For those who do want to save ink, I have taken the pages with the most important information such as what needs to be done at the torch or at the computer and removed most of the extras so that it will use much less ink. This comes as a second pdf file so that you will still have the high quality file for viewing on the computer.

The supplies and equipment used for this are:
-104 COE glass rods for base bead(light colors work best)
-Mandrel dipped in bead release
-Laser water slide decal paper
**must be the laser version**
-Thompson clear enamel powder for 104 COE/Moretti/Effetre
-Various colored rods and stringers for decoration (optional)
-Water dish for water slide decal
-Bead masher or other tool for flattening
-Annealing kiln with bead door or other way of accessing hot beads during torching process (gloves may be needed if mandrels get too hot in the kiln)
-Enamel tray
-Access to laser printer with high iron oxide toner. HP printers seem to have the best toner for this process... this is discussed in more detail later in the tutorial.
-Access to a computer with photo editing program

In order to follow my tutorial it is assumed that you know how to make a basic lampworked bead and have some basic computer experience (unless interested in having decals custom printed.

Of course, along with the purchase of my tutorial comes my help with any question you may have about the technique

I am super excited to present this to everyone as I know I have had many questions from other lampworkers about my technique. I hope you will find my tutorial informative and easy to follow.

Best wishes to everyone
-Kirsten

Portrait beads...

I have to say something about my portrait beads because I am so proud of them. I worked really hard to get an image transfer process that is usually used in glass fusing to work on my glass beads. I now can put images of loved ones onto a glass bead and the image is actually heated in by the flame and then coated with a layer of clear enamel... then decorated. They will be in an advertisement in a few beading magazines because I am now selling custom portrait beads to the public! This is something that no one else is doing... or no one that I know of anyway... unless they saw my work at the ISGB conference during bead bazaar and figured out my secrets as well ;) I just love being able to combine photography (a past focus of mine) with whatever medium I am working with at any given time... Let me know if you are interested in purchasing one of my fully hand crafted creations :)

I can't believe I won something...

So there is a wonderful company called Frantz Art Glass that sells lampworking/beadmaking supplies and they have the most unique glass of all places I have seen so far. They get odd lots (basically colors that were made by accident but still have potential) from Vetrofond (one of the major makers of soft glass rods) and they were having a contest to name the colors of the latest 14 new odd lots. I sent in my list... and they actually used one of them! I am amazed... granted it was the one that I thought was the lamest name of all I chose, but it seemed to fit it well. They didn't take oyster (which my husband and I actually nicknamed "lung oyster" and if you see the color you will know why... not one of my favorites) or aortic twist, nor did they like tuscan marble or ripe banana... but they did go for Tomato Soup:

If you want to see the other colors that were named you can go to www.frantznewsletter.com and click on the area where it says: "name the colors contest." Amazing how many variations of orange they can make, tehe.

Post ISGB "Gathering"

I am sorry I have been less than consistent at posting! I was preparing for and then attending the International Society for Glass Beadmakers (ISGB) big conference called the "Gathering." It was the most amazing event I have ever attended. I have realized that glass bead makers are probably the nicest group of artists ever. From day one people were welcoming me as a newcomer and making me feel like part of the group.
I helped set up on Sunday, then TA-ed for a class on Tuesday and Wednesday, took some business based classes on Thursday as well as staying for open torch and then attended Friday through Sunday. I have to say I spent way too much money and I am not sure how I will recover from that one. I bought some different kinds of glass such as ODD lots of Italian soft glass, some Creation is Messy colors, and some Satake and Kinari which are both Japanese and have a very different look. I have been drooling over Satake ever since I started looking at lampwork! I bought a few tools (mostly graphite), the set of brand new enamel pens from Thompson Enamel as well as their luster powders, gold stone to make my own stringers, the list goes on... I also indulged myself by buying some amazing beads!!!!!
I love Japanese lampwork so I bought two beautiful Tonbo-Dama, and one beaded ring from a Japanese lampworker, I just wish I could speak Japanese. I bought a ton of other beads which I will post pictures of as soon as I take them :) On the last night I also got some amazing trades from some wonderful and kind artists. It was interesting watching people trade, especially as a newbie. Some people were willing to trade with anyone regardless of skill level while some would walk around the tables looking at everyone's beads and only trading with those they felt were "worthy enough" to trade with them. This was definitely something I want to keep in mind for when I am no longer new so that I don't ever make people feel that way. Everyone was new once, right?
The best part of the whole thing was the friends I met... I got to know some of the members of the local ISGB chapter, Star of the North Glassworkers, much better which was fun, especially since most of my friends from school have moved away. I also met a few people from out of town which will make the next Gathering even more exciting. Hopefully, my next post will have lots of cool photos of stuff ;)
I hope everyone is staying cool! It has been 90+ degree days here... in Minnesota of all places!

A sad day in Anoka...

Thanks to everyone who came to visit me at Riverfest in Anoka... those who didn't, missed me looking like a lobster! (Once again, living in Minnesota because I hate heat :P ) I would have been under my lovely new EZ up tent... but, the darn thing broke as we put it up in the morning! I was so bummed out... it is only the second time I have used it and it totally fell apart. I am hoping the person I bought it from is willing to take it back and give me a new one. It was an ebay buy from someone who had over 99% positive feedback and sold many of this model. It just goes to show that you really should be cautious when you buy large items off of Ebay.
So I sat in the sun all day, but was able to recover today. I don't know if I will be doing any more art fairs except maybe the one in Jordan next year. I have found that my work is not really what people there are looking for. I work hard to make sure each of my pieces is one of a kind, creative and as fully hand made as possible. I carefully select my glass (some of it is quite rare) create anything that is embedded into the piece and then carefully sculpt any of the findings (such as bails) that will be seen when it is worn. My bails (the part that connects the pendant to the cord or chain) are secure because I have created a way for them to lock around a portion of the glass without having to go around the entire outside of the piece. The chain or cord with it's lobster claw clasp is the only premade thing that I buy. Because of this, I just can't compete with those who buy glass cabachons in bulk from China (or just slap a couple pieces of glass together without finishing the edges) and glue on a base metal or silver/gold plated bail to the back and then sell them for $16 each. I will be looking for different venues because I know there are people out there who will want to buy my work, I just have to find them.
So, keep checking my website for additions to the events and shows page because I am hoping to list some gallery representation to this page as well... and as soon as possible.
Thank you again to everyone for your kind words and undying support :)

Custom work...

I love to do custom work because it provides me with a challenge but also gives me guidelines... plus I have to make something that my customer will like. A woman approached me asking for a match to be made to an earring that was missing it's mate. I recognized the top piece of glass to be black mardi-gras glass, and the base was a copper dichroic. Seemed simple enough, right? Well, I found that it was amazing how many different colors of copper/orange/yellow/gold and combinations of all of these there are. I finally fired every single tiny piece of dichroic glass that I had that could possibly have worked! I think I counted 40 little pieces and none of them were correct! I ended up having two pairs of finished earrings and mailed both to her with the hope that she will enjoy at least one of them. It was still a good challenge, I just hope she feels like she got more than she was hoping for.
If anyone out there sees anything that they think would look nice with a different design, color or image... I would love to try to make it for you. I want my work to feel personal to those who wear it. I want it to feel like they have a connection to the piece they purchase. Sometimes that happens by just seeing something that catches the eye... but sometimes it takes a match between the minds of the artist and the customer.
I hope you are all doing well!